Improvement in trunks



J. H. GILL.

Trunk.

Patented July 2 1878.

WITNESSES -INVENTOR ATTORNEY N- FETERS, PHOTO-LlTNOGRAPHERrV/ASM nSTATES PATENT ()EEIoE,

JOHN H. GILL, OF BOLLA, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRUNKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 205.633, dated July 2,1878; application filed August 31, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. GILL, of Bella, in the county of Phelps andState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTrunks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanyin g drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification, wherein- Figure 1 is avertical section of said trunk as closed. Fig. 2 is an isometricaloutside view of the same when closed. Fig. 3 is an isometrical View ofthe trunk opened.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The trunk is designed with special reference to containing variousarticles of apparel, toilet, useful, and ornamental articles connectedwith a ladys or gentlemans wardrobe and required in traveling to becontained in easily-accessible positions, so that any article can beeasily reached without having to unpack but little of the trunk.

My trunk is made to attain the foregoing object, and at the same time itis made very much stronger than heretofore, and its upper apartment canbe used for a work-box, thus increasing its usefulness.

1n the drawing, A represents the front of the trunk, hinged by its frontlower corner to the ends of two or more cleats, F, which run along thewidth of the bottom of the trunk. Access may be gained to apartment A byletting it down horizontally and raising lightlid A. This apartmentisconvenient, and presents the room of one whole side of the trunk, inwhich may be placed large engravings, dresses, &c., which may be desiredto pack without mussin g.

The bottom of the rear part of the trunk is strengthened by the fixedpartition B, and forms a roomy apartment, B, into which large or heavyarticles and those the least often needed may be packed.

Apartment B is provided with two light lids, onto which drawers 0 C mayglide, respectively. Access may be gained to either end of apartment Bby removing one of the drawers 0 and raising one of the light lids, orby removing both drawers 0 (J and raising both lids on which saiddrawers 0 0 had glided, thus presenting an open apartment for packingdresses, 8m.

Drawers O O are very convenient apartments, to which access may bereadily gained by drawing one or both out and allowing one end to reston the rear of apartment A. In these drawers 0 (3 small articles may beplaced, which are desired to be convenient, such as collars, cuffs,hats, &c.

When apartment A is raised up to its vertical position, the main body ofthe trunk is thus closed. The dowels h h, passinginto holes h h, serveto relieve the hinges F and the cleats F from the vertical pressure, andwhen the lid E is let down dowels h h glide into notches or recesses hk, and hold the apartment A firmly to the rear or main part of thetrunk. Thus all parts of the trunk are firmly held together without anytension on the lock. The very light lid E then becomes simply a lid tothe small apartment D, and is much more easily opened or closed than theordinary heavy lid. The bottom D and side piece D of this apartment D,being fixed, are strong stays to the upper part of the trunk, and thusevery part of the trunk is made much stronger than the ordinary trunk.

Travelers have universally felt theinconvenience of ohambermaids pushingtheir trunks against the wall, so that when they are to be opened theymust be tugged away therefrom, in order to raise the ordinary thick lid,requiring the wear and tear of muscle and temper, while lid E may beeasily raised up and laid back in any position the trunk may be in. Thelid thus opened exposes the most convenient apartment of the wholetrunk, in which toilet and other articles of very frequent use may beplaced, or a lady may make this apartment serve her purpose as awork-box.

It has been seen that the traveler need not despair of getting at anarticle in this trunk because it is in the bottom, as it has been shownthat each part is readily accessible without disturbing all above it.

The simple lock M holds the lids E down,

and prevents any one from opening the trunk by disengaging the dowelsfrom their recesses until the trunk is unlocked.

Straps and strengthening cleats may be added to suit the views of themaker.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim to be new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a trunk, a front vertical section hinged to cleats running acrossthe bottom of the trunk, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The front vertical section of a trunk hinged to cleats running acrossthe bottom of the trunk, in combination with the main body of the trunk,having small apartment D, with its light lid E, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

3. In a trunk, a front vertical section hinged to cleats running acrossthe bottom of the trunk, in combination with the main body of the trunk,having apartment B and drawers 0, substantially as described, and forthe purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. GILL.

Vitnesses A. G. HEYLMUN, J. B. VVUNDERLY.

